Pleater strip



May 23, 1961 E. E. LANDELL PLEATER STRIP Filed Aug. 1, 1958 iiiiii l l L 1,

INVENTOR.

[OW/7170 A. 4 41V0Z4 M United States Patent PLEATER STRIP Edward E. Landell, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Kirsch Company, Sturgis, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 752,553

9 Claims. (Cl. 160348) This invention relates to a pleater strip of the type adapted to be sewn to the upper edge of -a drapery for facilitating the formation of pleats thereon.

The use of drapery pleater strips has become very popular in recent years. Such pleater strips are normally in the form of a strip of fabric adapted to be sewn to the upper edge of the drapery on the back side thereof, the strip having a plurality of elongated transversely extending pockets spaced longitudinally thereon. Such pleater strips are adapted to be used with pleater hooks which, in general, include a plurality of vertically extending prongs or fingers spaced more closely together than the pockets in the pleater strip so that when the pron-gs are inserted upwardly into the pockets in the pleater strip the drapery is gathered to form pleats.

Such pleater strips have met with considerable success but, nevertheless, present problems. After draperies provided with such pleater strips have been laundered or cleaned several times, they often shrink and the drapery cannot be adjusted vertically unless pleater hooks of a different length are used.

Another problem that exists with reference to the use of such pleater strips is that on draperies designed for ceiling installation, that is, where the track or traverse rod is mounted on the ceiling rather than on the wall, and it is desired that the drapery fit up close to the ceiling so as to conceal the track, the use of a conventional pleater strip demands the use of pleater hooks with an extra long shank. 7

It is an object of this invention to eliminate the above described problems that arise in conjunction withv the use of pleater strips. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a pleater strip which is so. designed to permit vertical adjustment of the drape. With the pleater strip of the present invention, adjustment to compensate for shrinkage can be readily made, and at the same time pleater hooks of conventional size can be used for supporting the drapery in ceiling installations.

In the drawings: a 1

.Figure 1 isa fragmentary perspective view of a drapery as viewed from the rear side thereof andfshowing the pleater strip of the present invention and.the manner in which. pleater hooks are used therewith.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view ofone form of pleater strip according to the present invention. p

'Figu're 3 is a vertical sectional view through the form of pleater strip shown in Figure 2, and showing the manner of its construction. i Figures 4and 5 are fragmentary plan views of'modified forms of pleater strips according 'to the present invention. Figure dis a perspective view of a pleater hook adapted to be used'with the-pleater strip. e

Referring to Figure 1, a fabric drapery is illustrated at 10. Along the upper edgethereof, 'on the rear side of thedrapery, there is sewn, as by the stitching .12, a pleater strip 14. The pleater strip 14 is provided with a. plurality of' elongated transversely or'vertically extending pockets 16 which are spaced apartlongitudinally of the pleater 2 1 strip 14, as illustrated. In use, a pleater book 18 (Fig. 6) having a plurality of vertically extending fingers or prongs 19 is engaged with the pleater strip to form pleats or folds 20 on the drapery. In the pleater hook shown, four such fingers or prongs are utilized. These prongs are inserted upwardly into the pockets 16 so that at each pleater hook the drape is gathered into three pleats 20 as illustrated. The pleater hook also includes a vertically extending shank 21 which is connected to the lower ends of fingers l9 and terminates at its upper end in a hook portion 23. The hook portion 23 is adapted to be engaged with the slider members on a conventional traverse rod or track to support the drapery. The pleater hook 18 illustrated is only one of numerous types of pleater hooks adapted to be used with the pleater strip.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show one form of pleater strip fabricated in accordance with the present invention. In this form the pleater strip comprises a strip of fabric folded flat upon itself along a straight line as at 22 so as to provide a rear panel 24 and an overlying front panel 26. The terms front and rear are used in this manner since the pleater strip is viewed in the drawings from the back side of the drapery. The free edges of the front and rear panels are folded into a hem as shown. It -will be observed that the lower edge 28 of the back panel 24 is parallel but spaced considerably below the free edge 30 of the front panel 26. Between these two :free edges 28 and there are arranged two strips of fabric 32 and 34. Each of these strips it will be observed, has its lower edge folded into a hem as illustrated. The lower edge of strip 34 extends along a line parallel to and spaced above the lower edge 28 of the back panel 24. The lower edge of strip 32 overlaps strip 34 but is spaced above and parallel to the lower edge of strip 34. However, the lower edge of strip 32 is spaced below the lower edge 3Q of front panel 26 and is generally parallel thereto.

After the fabric strips are arranged in the m'an'ner illus trated in Figure 2, they are stitched together by a line'of stitching to form the pockets 16. The stitching forming the pockets 16 can be of any desired confi'gurationsflri the embodiment shown, the fabric strips are sewn together by a continuous line of stitching which includes stitch lines 36 extending horizontally adjacent the lower edge of strip 34, which turn upwardly as at 38 into vertical stitch lines 40, then turn horizontally for a short distanceias at 42 and then downwardly again vertically as at 44th form the spaced pockets 16 3 With this arrangement it will be observed that between the stitch lines 40, 44, the lower edges of strips 34 and 32 and the lower edge 30 of front panel 26 provide openings into pockets 16 which are spaced apart vertically. arrangement may be considered either as a single pocket with three vertically spaced openings' thereinto or three pockets each of which opens at its lowerend at: a different level on the pleater strip. [Thus with a pleater st rip fashioned as described, the prongs 19 of the pleater hook can be inserted into the pockets 16 into any of'thes'e three openings, and the vertical disposition of the drapery can'thu's be adjusted. For example, when the drape-is initially fabricated the prongs of the pleater hook'can be inserted into the pockets 16 through the openings formed by the strip 34 and-the lower edge 28 of back panel 24. If, after several cleanings or launderings', the drapery should shrink, the drapery can be lowered'so that its lower edge is'spaced from the floor surface the desii'ed distance by inserting the prongs of the pleater hooks into the pockets 16 either through the openingsQp'rovidtdj bj; the strips 32 and 3401' between the" mweredge-m er panel 26 and. strip 32. Likewise, with the pleater this invention, when the drapery is designeifor" installation, the standard length pleater hoolccan d ling and the drapery can be adjusted vertically so that its upper edge conceals the track by engaging the pleater hooks in any one of the three vertically spaced openings into the pockets 16.

The pleater strip illustrated in Figure 4 in principle is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. However, the pleater strip of Figure 4 comprises a single fabric strip 46, and the pockets 48 are woven therein. It will be observed that the pockets 48 terminate above the lower edge of strip 46 along a horizontal line as at 50. Below the horizontal line 50 there is also woven into the fabric strip 46 a cord 52. The cord 52, however, is intermittently woven into the fabric strip 46 so that it is free or loose with respect to the strip 46 at the portion thereof designated 54 in vertical alignment with each of the pockets 48. With the pleater strip shown in Figure 4, theprongs 19 of the pleater hook can be inserted into the pockets 48 either along the horizontal line 50 or at the portions 54 of the cord 52. Thus the drapery is capable of being adjusted vertically to either of two positions.

The pleater strip 56 illustrated in Figure 5 is very similar to that illustrated in Figure 4. Like the pleater strip shown in Figure 4, pleater strip 56 has pockets 58 woven therein. These pockets terminate at their lower end along a horizontal line 60, which is spaced slightly above the lower edge of the pleater strip. However, each pocket has two break lines 62 and 64 in the weaving so as to provide three vertically spaced openings into each pocket 58. This arrangement may also be considered as a series of three pockets each of which opens at its lower end at a difierent level on the pleater strip. Thus the prongs 19 of the pleater hooks can be inserted into the pockets 58 at any one of the openings at 60, 64 and 62.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a pleater strip which enables vertical adjustment of the drapery to any one of several predetermined positions. The pleater strip of this invention eliminates the need for pleater hooks having shanks of varying length. At the same time it permits vertical readjustment of the drapery in case of shrinkage so that the lower edge of the drapery extends along a horizontal line which is spaced generally the desired distance from either the floor surface or a window sill.

What I claim is:

1. A pleater strip adapted to be secured to the upper edge of a drapery and with which pleat forming hooks of the type having a plurality of vertically extending fingers are arranged to be engaged to form pleats in the drapery, comprising an elongated strip of flexible material, said strip having a plurality of individual elongated transversely extending pockets spaced from one another longitudinally therealong, all of said pockets terminating at their upper ends along a single line extending longitudinally adjacent the upper edge of said strip, said pockets being open at their lower ends, closed along their vertical side edges and being arranged in at least two overlying groups, the pockets in one group being aligned vertically with the pockets in the other group and having their lower ends terminating along a first line parallel to the lower edge of the strip, and the pockets in said other group having their lower ends terminating along a second line parallel to the lower edge of the strip and spaced more remotely therefrom than said first line.

2. A pleater strip adapted to be secured to the upper edge of a drapery and with which pleat forming books of the type having a plurality of vertically extending fingers are arranged to be engaged to form pleats in the, drapery, comprising an elongated strip of flexible material, means onsaid strip defining a plurality of overlying groups of individual elongated pockets open at their lower ends and closed along their vertical side edges, all of said pockets terminating at their upper ends along a single line extending longitudinally adjacent the upper edge of said strip, the lower ends of the pockets'in each group 4 lying along a straight line parallel to the lower edge of the strip and the lines defining the lower edges of the pockets of the several groups being parallel to one another and spaced apart transversely of the strip, the pockets in each group being vertically aligned with the pockets in the other groups. 7

3. A pleater strip adapted to be secured to the upper edge of a drapery and with which pleat forming hooks of the type having a plurality of vertically extending fingers are arranged to be engaged to form pleats in the drapery, comprising an elongated strip of flexible material, means on said strip forming a plurality of elongated transversely extending individual pockets spaced apart longitudinally on said strip, said pockets being closed along their vertical side edges, means extending longitudinally of the strip in a plurality of parallel lines traversing each of said pockets, along lines spaced different distancesfrom the lower edge of the strip and forming a plurality of abutments on each pocket below the upper end thereof for limiting the extent to which the prongs of the pleater hooks can be inserted upwardly into each of said pockets.

4. A pleater strip as called for in claim 3 wherein said strip is formed of fabric and said pockets are woven into the flexible strip, said last mentioned means comprising transversely spaced breaks in the woven pockets.

5. A pleater strip as called for inclaim 3 wherein said last mentioned means comprises, at least in part, a narrow fabric strip connected with said pleater strip and having portions thereof in vertical alignment with said pockets unconnected withthe pleater strip.

6. A pleater strip adapted to be secured to the upper edge of a drapery and with which pleat forming hooks of the type having a plurality of vertically extending fingers are arranged to be engaged to form pleats in the drapery, comprising a strip of flexible material having a rear panel and an overlying front panel, means interconnecting said panels along laterally spaced, vertically extending lines and forming therebetween a plurality of vertically extending individual pockets spaced apart along said strip, each of said pockets having a plurality of openings-therein intermediate the opposite ends thereof for enabling the insertion of the prongs of the pleater hooks, said openings in the pockets being aligned in a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending rows.

7; A pleater strip adapted to be secured to the upper edge of a drapery and with which pleat forming hooks of the type having a plurality of vertically extending fingers are arranged to be engaged to form pleats in the drapery, comprising an elongated strip of flexible material having generally parallel upper and lower edges, a plurality of vertically extending means on said strip spaced apart longitudinally forming a plurality of vertically extending individual pockets spaced apart longitudinally of said strip, each pocket being closed at its vertical side edges and having a plurality of openings therein below the'upper ends thereof and near the lower ends thereof, said openings being spaced progressively further distances from the lower edge of the strip and lying in a plurality of horizontally extending parallel lines.

8. A pleater strip as called for in claim 7 wherein said strip is formed of fabric and said pockets are woven into said fabric, said openings comprising horizontal breaks in the wovenpockets.

9. A pleater strip adapted to be secured to the upper edge of a drapery and with which pleat forming hooks of .the type having a plurality of vertically extending fingers are arranged to be engaged to form pleats in the drapery,

comprising a back panel and an overlying front panel' formed of a flexible material, the lower edge of the front panel terminating along a line spaced above and parallel to the lower edge of the back panel, a plurality of overlapping strips of flexible material arranged on said back panel so as to extend longitudinally continuously along the length of said back panel, said strips having their lower edges spaced apart vertically and being disposed between the lower edge of the front panel and the lower edge of the back panel, and vertically extending stitching interconnecting said panels and said strips and forming therebetween a plurality of vertically extending and vertically aligned individual pockets which are spaced apart longitudinally of said panels, each of said pockets being closed along its vertical side edges by said stitching and open along the lower edge of said front panel and the lower edges of said strips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lester J Feb. 23, Cameron Mar. 4, Atkins May 19, Solomon June 14, Moser Sept. 27, Phillips Apr. 23, 

